MEET OUR TEAM
The 2022 Executive Board was elected in March 2022 and will serve until April 1st, 2023.
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NICOLE HAMMER
President
Nicole Hammer is a PhD candidate at Northcentral University for International Business and a double graduate from the University of Central Florida with a Master's in Higher Education and a Bachelor's in Social Work. She has worked with over 6 different campaigns, a Super PAC, and with a political consulting firm. Before moving to Volusia County, she was President of the Young Democrats of Seminole County and then was elected as President of Volusia County Young Democrats in 2023.
PATRICK BURNETTE
Vice President
Patrick Burnette was born and raised in Volusia County, and found a passion for politics at a young age. In recent cycles he has worked as an intern for Florida House Representative Anna Eskamani and as a lead field organizer for Fmr. Representative Patrick Henry. Patrick was first elected to VYD leadership in 2020, during which time he implemented much-needed improvements to our financial infrastructure. He was elected Vice President in 2021 and re-elected in 2022.
MEGHAN TOWNSEND
Secretary
Meghan was first inspired to get involved in politics by Bernie Sanders during his insurgent run for president in 2016. Since then, she has been involved in a variety of Democratic clubs and organizations including the Volusia Democratic Executive Committee, on which she represents Precinct 633 in Daytona Beach. Meghan was elected Fundraising and Development Officer in 2021 and elected Secretary in 2022.
MATTHEW BURNETTE
Treasurer
If there's a job in Florida politics, Matt has done it. From managing a congressional campaign to running countywide field operations, he has proven an effective organizer and adept political mind. Matt most recently served as the Deputy Campaign Manager for Dolores Guzman's run for State House and manager of Anita Burnette's successful School Board campaign. He was elected Treasurer in 2021 and re-elected in 2022.
JOSE GAMBOA
Fundraising and Development Officer
Jose is a longtime political activist, having been forced to leave Venezuela five years ago due to his criticism of the regime. Since coming to the US, he has been a volunteer for the Andrew Gillum and Bill Nelson campaigns in 2018, served as Vice President of the Orange County Young Democrats, and worked to combat misinformation in the Latino community with Venezolanos con Biden. Jose was elected Secretary in a special election on July 13th, 2021 and elected Fundraising and Development Officer in 2022.
THOREN PEREGO
Communications Officer
Thoren, born and raised in Volusia, discovered his passion for politics while attending the University of North Florida. He served as an organizer for the Florida Democratic Party during the 2018 midterms, before moving to Iowa in 2019 to work for now-President Joe Biden. In the lead up to the 2020 presidential election, Thoren was the Regional Organizing Director for Volusia County. He was elected Communications Officer in 2021 and re-elected in 2022.